Mistletoe
by jagwizkid
Summary: Final chapter of Mistletoe.  Same author different ID. Sorry for any confusion.  Totally Callian fluff!
1. Chapter 1

_This is my contribution to the Secret Santa challenge. I had hotforteacher. I must admit I was really worried when I saw who I got cause I love reading your fics. I only hope this does you justice. I've had a blast writing it. Merry Christmas!_

_AN: I own nothing, I'm again just taking them out and playing with them for a while. And though Zoe is a part of this chapter, I promise it IS Callian! Oh, yeah, and a HUGE dose of Emily in this one._

December 1997

Four year old Emily Lightman stepped back from the newly decorated Christmas tree she'd been regarding for the last several minutes to see her mom standing on a step stool reaching for a spot on the ceiling above the entrance to the kitchen. Emily leaned her head to the side watching the scene before her for a second before asking, "What you doing, Mommy?"

Zoe grunted a bit, trying to force the thumbtack into the ceiling but meeting more resistance than she expected. Looking down at her daughter, she was struck by how much Emily looked like her father standing there with her head cocked to the side, clearly taking in everything she was doing. "Mistletoe," she said showing the sprig to the young girl.

"Why aren't you putting it in a vase?" Emily asked.

Zoe laughed softly at the innocent question. "Well, Emily, mistletoe is special. See you hang it up and whoever stands under it…" she pushed one more time on the thumbtack, relieved as it gave way securing the sprig into the ceiling, stepping down and turning her attention back to her daughter, "gets a kiss." She motioned for Emily to stand where the stepstool just was. When Emily took her spot, Zoe leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "Like that" she told her with a smile.

A few hours later Cal was leaning on the doorframe at the entrance to the kitchen in simple conversation with his wife when he noticed a giggle coming from beside him. He looked down to see Emily with her hand covering her mouth, stifling a laugh. "Oi, whats so funny?" he asked her.

She looked quickly to her mom. "Mousey toes, Mommy!" she pointed above Cal. Zoe gave a laugh at the mispronunciation as she turned her attention to her husband.

"So I see." She made her way to stand before him and pointed above her head. Cal followed her gaze and smiled as he saw the mistletoe hung there. Cal wrapped his arms around his wife and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips as their daughter giggled beside them.

Cal was sitting in the recliner later reading the paper as Zoe bathed Emily. He heard her softly pad to her room and then down the stairs. "I need milk before bed," she announced to him as she headed to the kitchen. He poured her a glass and placed it into the dishwasher when she finished. He went to follow her to her room but found her standing in the entrance with a huge grin on her face. "Look, Daddy, I'm standing under the mousey toes!"

He laughed at her. "MISTLE toe, Em," he tried to correct. "Now, what is it you're supposed to do when someone is under the mistletoe?" he feigned ignorance.

"Daddy!" She whined, "you 'sposed to kiss whoever is under the mous…miss…" she faltered. Giving up she simply pointed above her head," That! You 'member!"

"Oh, yes! I do remember" he scooped up his daughter and noisily kissed her cheek. She giggled as he put her back down and watched her run off to her room for the night.

December 2000

Cal stood back and looked at the mistletoe sprig he'd just placed above the kitchen entranceway. Emily made sure that the mistletoe would always be present in the home. He thought back over the last few years, the way Emily would hang around the entrance waiting for someone to walk by and notice where she was. He was standing there looking up at the memory trigger as Emily walked by him, glancing up but saying nothing. He looked at her with a gleam in his eye. "Hey, Emily, look where I am" he called in a sing song voice. "You know what that means!"

Her eyes went wide and she started running toward her room. "Come back here" he called chasing her. The sound of her laugh was music to his ears.

"NO, Daddy! Boy kisses are yucky!" she called.

Catching her he answered, "But I'm not a boy, love, I'm your dad!" he proceeded to kiss her dramatically on the cheek.

December 2003

Zoe was reaching for her coat when there was a knock at the door. She reached over to see who would be visiting to find a shy looking Gillian Foster standing before her. She knew very little about this woman. She knew that the Pentagon had requested Dr. Foster analyze her husband. She also knew that Cal had been quite intrigued with her, to the point of asking Dr Foster to join him in a business venture despite requests and objections from his wife.

"Mrs. Lightman, " Gillian began.

"Landau." Zoe responded curtly. "My name is not Lightman, its Landau."

Gillian looked a bit embarrassed for not knowing that Zoe had refused to take Cal's last name but recovered quickly. "Forgive me, Mrs Landau. I apologize for bothering you, but I was wondering if Dr. Lightman was available."

Zoe regarded the woman in front of her a second before yelling for Cal while never taking her eyes off Gillian. "Love?" he asked as he appeared behind Zoe.

"Someone's here to see you," she stood aside allowing Cal full view of who the caller was.

"Doctor Foster," he called a little too cheerfully. He took her hand as he welcomed her inside. "Please come in."

Zoe watched the interaction. She did not like this woman. She was just …too damn cheerful. Grabbing her almost forgotten coat she looked to Cal who had to drag his eyes away from Gillian to turn his attention to his wife. "I'm running to the store. I'll be back in just a few." Cal simply nodded and waited for the door to close before ushering Gillian to the kitchen table where he had a bunch of documents strewn about.

"I'm so glad you stopped by."

"I had a little time, Alec wont be home for a while so I thought I'd come by and see if you wanted to tell me a little more about what you are proposing." A huge smile split his face. She was interested. The Lightman Group as he had been calling it was one step closer to a reality.

They talked for a few minutes when 10 year old Emily entered the kitchen. "Oi, Em!' Cal called her over. "I'd like for you to meet Doctor Gillian Foster." Emily extended her hand and Gillian shook it while instructing the young girl to refer to her as "Gillian" that she liked that better. Emily liked this lady immediately. Cal went on to explain that Gillian was going to be his partner in opening up his new company. Emily seemed excited but excused herself quickly to finish her homework.

Cal and Gillian talked for another hour, looking at figures and proposals, when they finally came to the end of the information Cal had compiled. She assured him that she would give him her final decision by the end of the week. He smiled and gathered his stuff together. She leaned against the entrance to the kitchen watching him finish filing all his papers and just talking in general. She was quickly finding Cal to be very easy to talk to and that she enjoyed the atmosphere that was created as they worked together envisioning this new entity. She didn't notice as Emily approached until she giggled slightly with a call to her dad.

"Look Dad," she called. "Someone's under the mistletoe" she sing songed.

Cal was already approaching Gillian as she looked at him wide-eyed, a true "deer caught in headlights" look.

Gillian looked back at Emily. "Emily, I.." she started but faltered. She was so embarrassed. "I really don't think your mom would like that very much."

"Oh, please!" Emily responded. "Mom's not here, besides, its just a tradition!"

Gillian looked back at Cal who was surprisingly little help. He looked at the mistletoe and then back at Gillain. He smiled and nodded toward Emily. "Its easier to just go along with it really. Doesn't give up, that one." He moved closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "And you _are _standing under the mistletoe, love." She blushed as he closed the distance between them, softly kissing her cheek. She responded in kind and smiled back at him.


	2. Chapter 2

December 2006.

"Remind me again why we have to put this damn thing up again" Cal grumbled as he pushed the thumbtack into the ceiling, holding the sprig in place. The last couple years the mistletoe had been in place but Cal and Zoe had spent more time yelling and avoiding that particular spot than anything else.

"It's tradition, Dad." Emily called back.

"Bloody hell." He looked at the offending foliage. "Still don't see the point, Em. Seems like a complete waste of time to me." Zoe had left him and Emily was only there half the time if he was lucky.

The doorbell rang and Emily moved to answer it as she called back to him "It looks great, Dad. It's just not Christmas without it." She opened the door to find Gillian standing there a few boxes of take out in her hand. She knew that Cal had been in a funk and not eating right himself, she was worried about him and his daughter eating well.. "Alright!" Emily exclaimed. "Dad! Gill brought food! No Chef Boyardee tonight!"

Cal only moved enough to lean against the wall as she came in. "Ah! The mistletoe," she looked up admiringly and leaned over to kiss Cal quickly on the cheek.

"Oi! No sneak attacks!" he called as he began to follow her to the kitchen, suddenly thinking the mistletoe was not such a bad idea afterall.

As she made her way to leave later in the evening, she made sure to pause under the mistletoe. Fair is fair after all. She smiled at the way Cal's eyes twinkled as he noticed her position. "Merry Christmas, love," he said as he leaned in and kissed her not on the cheek but right on the corner of her mouth. She reciprocated with a soft smile. She was so glad to see the smile that graced his face. It had be AWOL too often recently, though she understood why. She felt guilty at the heady feeling she was getting with the knowledge that she was the cause of this particular smile.

December 2008

Cal and Gillian were enjoying a quiet meal at his house. He had invited her over for dinner to celebrate the fact that from their most recent calculations The Lightman Group would finish the year well in the black. Gillian would never turn down a dinner invitation from Cal when he was cooking. He was a fantastic cook after all, besides she was certainly enjoying the distraction. She had recently moved into an apartment of her own. Separating from her husband had been a very difficult decision but she knew it was the right one for her. They talked quietly, about anything that came to mind. When he walked into her office that day, ordered by The Pentagon, she had no clue that only a few years later he would be her closest friend.

She glanced around as they walked from the kitchen to the living room after cleaning up the dishes. "No mistletoe this year?" she asked.

"Not this year love." He glanced at her and saw the sadness that had taken up residence on her face for the past year or more. Her husband's…or was it EX-husband yet... choices had weighed heavily on her. She nodded in understanding. She was somewhat disappointed at its absence but it really was best, she really didn't need anything else to complicate the feelings she was already having any time Cal was around, especially at this early stage in her divorce process.

Emily had asked about it earlier and he told her this time, in no uncertain terms, that there would be no mistletoe this year. She tried to argue, remind him that is was tradition, but he was unwavering and in the end she had let it go. He had reasoned that she would be the only one using it with whatever boy she was seeing at the time and that would just not be a good idea in Cal Lightman's house. The only other person he could imagine under the mistletoe was one Gillian Foster. For the year that his divorce had been final he had found his feelings for her growing more and more. He really didn't want that mistletoe this year because he was certain that a simple peck on the cheek or any chaste kiss would not come close to filling the ache he felt for her and yet he knew that there was no way she was ready for that nor would it be a good decision for their friendship.

December 2009

The Lightman Group employees had been enjoying the party for hours. Cal had done his best to mingle and greet everyone, but he was exhausted. The experience in Afghanistan still wore on him. He glanced around at the group still gathered but didn't see Gillian. He moved to her office to find it empty. She wouldn't have left without saying good-bye. Growing more concerned he made his way to his own office. It was dark and empty, but he saw a faint glow from his library that he didn't remember leaving on. He walked quickly to the door and peaked in to see Gillian curled in a corner of the couch, clutching a pillow to her chest. His eyes studied her face and landed on the tear streaming down her face. He made his way quickly over to her, kneeling by the end of the couch and reaching up to wipe away a tear, he whispered, "Alright, love?" A soft sob escaped her as she leaned against his touch. He immediately moved to the couch beside her and engulfed her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest, holding onto him for dear life.

After a few minutes she pulled back only slightly and looked up at him. "I was so scared, Cal. I was terrified but couldn't show any of it because Emily was right there and I couldn't let her know how scared I was." His hands gently caressed her upper arms as he listened to her. She tried to swallow back more tears as she met his eyes. "I was so scared that we'd lost you…that I had lost you," she finished in a whisper.

He pulled her back against him and rested his chin on top of her head. "I know. When I saw Emily come in it frightened me that she could be watching me get killed. I was terrified that I was not going to get back to the two of you."

They held each other for a few more moments before she pulled back and looked at him. "You did good with that snowflake." She told him. He looked at her questioningly. "He had mentioned them when the feed came online." He simply smiled at her.

"Thanks for holding things together here… especially Emily" She smiled up at him and nodded.

"You know how much she means to me."

"OH! That reminds me! I have something for you," he said suddenly. She sat up and looked at him, smiling at his smile. He reached in his pocket and she laughed heartily as he pulled out a sprig of mistletoe.

"Where in the world did you get that?" she laughed.

"Loker. The wanker had it hanging over his chair! Like anyone wanted to walk in there and kiss him!"

"Cal!" she admonished gently still smiling.

"I'll return it…when I'm done!" He looked at her and held the foliage over his head and gave her a brilliant smile. She met him halfway and sighed as his lips pressed fully against hers. The kiss was sweet, chaste even. He pulled back and looked at her, smiling softly. His hand holding the mistletoe was resting against the back of the couch. She looked at him for a second before stealing the mistletoe herself and holding it above her own head.

He watched her carefully and when her hand found a spot over her own head, the sight of her took his breath away. Less than 24 hours before he was wondering if he would ever see this woman again and now, he was sitting on his couch with her under the mistletoe. His eyebrows raised and he gave her a mischievous grin before capturing her lips in a kiss that was anything but chaste.


	3. Chapter 3

_I apologize in the delay in updating this story. My father in law passed away the morning after Christmas and its been crazy since then. I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story. There is no actual mistletoe in this but I wanted to fix a couple things about this year. Cal still had a little groveling to do IMHO. Mistletoe will reappear in the next chapter. I hope you will like it anyway._

_One more AN: the opening grumble from Cal came about from my real life frustration. As I sat on my bed wrapping my own daughter's Christmas present and the paper tore, I was just flustered with the whole custom of the wrapping presents just to be unwrapped and I couldn't help but think how much it sounded like something Cal would fuss about….and so….he does!_

_Still don't own them or we'd have the rest of Season 3 and a full order for Season 4 and would be promoting their People's Choice Award win more too!_

December 2010

"Bloody hell, " Cal grumbled again, wadding the torn wrapping paper into a ball and tossing it into the bin with the others. He pulled out another length of wrapping paper to again attempt to wrap the shirt box containing the new shirt he'd purchased for Emily. He taped down the first edge and carefully wrapped the other end around taping it again. He glanced at the offending box with the unruly tails at each end waiting to be tamed into a nice package. "Bloody stupid custom!" The only reason he even attempted wrapping the presents is that he knew that Emily loved the idea of tearing off the paper Christmas morning more than simply pulling an item out of a bag which Cal would much rather have provided. Still, he couldn't help the frustration he was feeling knowing he was spending all this time putting over priced over decorated paper on a box simply to have it ripped off and thrown in with the rubbish in only a few hours. Having finally defeated his rectangular foe…at least he considered it a defeat, he went to get the last gift he had gotten for Emily. He opened the drawer he'd been keeping her presents in to find that it wasn't there. He looked a couple other places he thought he could have put, silently cursing as each place was found empty.

The office. Damn. He really didn't want to have to go to the office on Christmas Eve. That would put him in traffic with all the late shoppers. He'd really wanted a calm day in his quiet house NOT thinking about work. He debated with himself a few moments the advantage of just waiting until Christmas day since Emily would not be with him until the day after Christmas, but even a few minutes at the office on Christmas day sounded much worse so he begrudgingly grabbed his coat and locked the door behind him.

Cal wondered down the hall of The Lightman Group as he had many times before, on a mission toward his office, when he saw the light from Gillian Foster's office spilling into the hallway. He had parked in front of the office instead of the normal parking deck since he only planned on running in so he hadn't seen her car in the lot. He paused a moment before continuing on to her office instead of stopping at his own. He stood for a moment regarding her softly. Gillian Foster loved all things Christmas. Usually her office looked as if the North Pole had exploded all over it. Usually she kept the breakroom brimming with homemade baking and confections. This year though, all of that was decidedly missing. Her office looked no different than it did the rest of the year, in fact he'd noticed that the only music he'd heard her listening to was CD's. All the stations in the area were mixing holiday tunes in with the regulars but they never wafted through from Gillian's office the way they normally did. In fact, he'd actually said something to her a few weeks ago about it. Of course he had missed the belligerent "Of course Cal, _anything_ to make _your_ life better" as she'd walked away from him. He hadn't thought too much of it at the time, but standing in the office hallway on Christmas Eve without of the gaiety that usually went with it watching Gillian working inside like it was any other day, he was struck with the wrongness of it all. What made this year so different? And how much of it was his fault?

A soft tap on her office door brought her head up with a snap. "Cal! What are you doing here?"

"Was gonna ask you the same, love I thought I was the one that was Scrooge," he said gently as he slowly entered her office taking a seat in front of her. "It's Christmas Eve."

"So it is" she said regarding him neutrally. "And with the office empty and quiet it makes a great day to catch up on some of these reports and budget updates I need to do."

He watched her. He noticed that she seemed so much more somber recently. He missed her smile but at the same time knew that he had had quite a hand in getting rid of it anyway. "You know all of that can wait until after the holidays, right? There's really no need for you to spend your holiday here, love. You really do need a break."

She didn't miss the way he looked at her, the softness and gentleness in his eyes. She longed for a time when the smiles were easy, the silences were peaceful, and the comfort of his presence wasn't laced with the thread of fear that he was going to say or do something to hurt her… again. For a second, she was transported back to that time in his eyes, but then her computer signaled that it had completed the computations she had asked and looking at the result she knew that she had more work ahead of her to make it come out right. If he would only finish that book.

"Well with everyone gone, I can focus on this stuff without being interrupted. Besides, Christmas at home is just not quite so much fun by yourself." She sat back in her seat, looking toward him almost sadly, "its almost more comfortable here."

He felt slightly guilty at her words, though he really didn't believe there was any malice to them. He and Emily had usually spent several evenings at her home by this time of the season the last couple years, but this year it just seemed that something was always coming up and they just never seemed to get together on it. "Please don't tell me you are even _thinking_ of coming in tomorrow." She wouldn't meet his gaze, but you didn't have to be a renowned microexpressions expert to see her react in the positive. "Bloody hell, Gill!" he nearly yelled leaning towards her. "Absobloodylutely not! "

"Cal," she tried.

"No, Gill. I'll be damned! As long as this is MY company, you are _not _working on Christmas Day!"

_Please, God, please tell me he is not going __there__ again_, she prayed silently.

He watched the fire cross her eyes at that statement and watched the set of her jaw and knew immediately how she had taken that statement despite the fact that that was not how he had meant it. He ran a hand through his hair and growled at himself and his own mouth that seemed to have a mind of its own. He quickly made his way over in front of her. He turned her chair toward him and knelt before her.

"God, Gill, I didn't mean anything like that." His hands were on her knees, his eyes searching her face. She couldn't deny the fire she felt in her legs at his touch, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes just yet. "If it weren't for you, this company would not still be in existence. I know that better than anyone. I'm sorry. I just don't want you to be here on Christmas. You deserve this break. You need it. You need to get away from here for at least a day. You, more than anyone, have earned at least that." She finally met his eyes and saw the sincerity in them. She moved toward the window, slightly less tense knowing that he really hadn't meant anything, but it still didn't do much to help the loneliness she felt at the thought of Christmas by herself. She sighed as she looked out at the street.

"Been a rough year hasn't it, love?" He asked softly as his hand slowly rubbed large circles over her back; he couldn't help it, he NEEDED to touch her in some way. She responded with a mirthless chuckle. "I know I've been an ass this year and that's put more on you that should have ever been your share. I don't know how to tell you how sorry I am for that."

She turned at the raw sincerity in his voice and studied him for a moment. Cal Lightman was apologizing to her? Could it be that miracles really did happen at Christmas?

His hand cupped her cheek gently and she couldn't help the happy sigh that escaped her or the way her eyes closed at his touch. Cal didn't miss either reaction and his heart swelled with the knowledge that his touch elicited them. His eyes searched hers, held hers, as he whispered, "I've missed you, Gil."

Before she knew it, he had wrapped her in his arms and all the frustration she'd felt moments ago seemed to disappear. _This_ was Cal. This was _her_ Cal. The last time he'd held her like this she was drunk, but even drunk she remembered every nuance of his touch, the way her body felt against his. One tear slipped unbidden down her cheek and he wiped it away with the pad of his thumb and smiled at her softly.

"Tell you what, love. Come home with me. Em is with her mum for the next couple days. We can be lonely together and I can start making up for this year to ya."

She hesitated, pulling back from him a couple steps. "I don't know, Cal. I don't want to impose on you or keep you from your time with Willowski."

He would never say it out loud but he secretly loved the way she could not repress the disgust on her face whenever she said Willowski's name. He found it adorable, mainly because he really didn't have any feelings for the detective anyway, All of his feelings were directed toward one Gillian Foster and he was thinking more and more that it was about time that he tell her.

He reached for her hands and held them tenderly in his own. "Look at me, Gil, and please listen to what I'm saying. There is nothing going on with Willowski. I'm in no way interested in her. What I am interested in is spending the holiday with my best friend. What d'ya say, love?"

She watched him closely and she did she the truth, not simply truth that he wanted her to see but he was allowing himself to be transparent. She smiled and nodded softly. She was greeted with one of those huge Cal Lightman smiles that he didn't just give out randomly. He grabbed her coat and helped her into, smile still in place as he switched the light off in her office and pulled the door shut behind him. He grabbed the present for Emily he'd come after and then walked with Gillian out of the building. Maybe this Christmas wouldn't be so bad afterall.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the long delay, guys. The death of my father in law had further-reaching effects than I anticipated and then on top of that there has been a couple terrible flus that have been going around our area. I managed to catch both, and my husband and daughter caught one. So FINALLY the next chapter has made it! Only a couple more to go and they should be up shortly. Big, big, thanks to those who have reviewed and are following this fic. I hope you will enjoy the rest._

_As always I own nothing, just taking the characters out to play for a little bit while Fox decides that it will bring back this fantastic show!_

_AN: I'm still jagwizkid but I thought I would do an update and change my name on my writings since I no longer write in the JAG fandom, therefore I am now Insanity in Technicolor… or will be after this post. (I wanted to keep jagwizkid in it til I could explain)_

_So… without further ado… Mistletoe!_

The ride to Cal's house was made in silence. Cal was scared to open his mouth, afraid that the wrong thing would come out and she would change her mind. Gillian wondered if she had made a mistake but something inside her yearned for the closeness that she and Cal had shared and she wanted to try to get that back. Besides, Emily always made sure to have mistletoe hanging somewhere in the house so maybe, just maybe, she could manage to catch Cal under it just once. The thought brought a smile to her face, one that Cal didn't miss. He reached over and squeezed her hand, greeting her with his own smile.

Gillian gushed over the Christmas atmosphere all the decorations in his house created. Cal wouldn't admit to being pleased at Gillian's reaction but he was certainly secretly thankful for all the work Emily had put into the decorations this year. He ordered some supper to be delivered as he watched her inspect all the décor scattered around the room and the ornaments on the tree, occasionally stopping and gently fingering one that may catch her attention.

He moved to the kitchen to call in an order for delivery from one of favorite restaurants then to see what he could fix for Christmas dinner that she would be pleased with. He could not believe that Gillian Foster was in his house to spend Christmas with _him_ even after the complete sod he had been at times during the year. She was here. That's what mattered.

She found him in the kitchen just standing there, lost in thought. Her doubts began to creep back in. Maybe this wasn't what he really wanted. Maybe she'd been too needy and he was responding to that instead of _her_, after all, she really wasn't his first choice, was she?

"Everything ok?" she ventured softly.

Her voice brought him out of his reverie with a snap. "Oh! Yeah, love, fine." He started opening cabinets as if searching frantically for something. "Just looking at what I have on hand for our dinner tomorrow. Sorry, but I'm fresh out of turkey and ham." He went to the fridge as she looked on. "How about some shrimp fettuccini alfredo? Bit out of the ordinary but I promise it will be good." He looked at her hopefully.

Her head was tilted and there was a look on her face that he couldn't quite decipher. As she'd watched him searching through the cupboards her doubts had come back a hundred fold; this couldn't be what he wanted. She slowly began to back away. "You know, Cal, this… this is…" she fumbled with her hands, not looking to him, "this is a mistake, I shouldn't be intruding on your holiday. I'm.. I'm gonna just call a cab." She made it to the entrance of the kitchen before he caught her.

"What? No!" He panicked when he heard her and for once his feet moved before he finished thinking, reaching her even before she left the kitchen. "Please, Gill. Don't leave," he pleaded, not letting go of her hand.

"Cal, I don't want to intrude. With Emily not here I'm sure you had plans to relax and just get away from work and you can't do that with me here."

Cal eyed her closely and decided that it was time to start letting her into what he was feeling for her, just a crack. He reached up a hand and very gently caressed her cheek with his thumb while his fingertips enjoyed the delicious softness of her neck. He made sure he had direct eye contact before he spoke. "I assure you, Gillian, there is not one thing that I have even considered for the holiday that would not be made exponentially more enjoyable with you here."

Her cheeks and neck immediately colored at his words. Or was it the innuendo behind the words that shone clearly in his eyes? She looked around the room a sec, anywhere but his heated gaze on her. That's when her eyes landed on the sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling just above him. She couldn't suppress the smile and the slight giggle at the thought. Cal Lightman tried earnestly every year to avoid being caught under the mistletoe and yet here he was.

"Whats so funny, love?" he asked gently.

Cal Lightman was typically acutely aware of exactly where he was at all times, even when it seemed he wasn't. Suddenly the thought that _she_ had shaken him enough to forget was heady and powerful. She met his gaze with a smile. She pointed upward never taking her eyes off him. She saw the micro second of surprise that flashed upon his face and then his face took on an expression that sent warmth flooding to her core as he looked back at her.

"Exponentially more enjoyable," he repeated as he licked his lips and brought his other hand to cup her face as well. He made sure that everything he felt for her was clearly visible on his face as he leaned closer to her. She saw it; she saw all of the emotion. He took advantage of her slight gasp and pressed his lips to hers. She melted in his kiss, reciprocating it with all that she had. Her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Cal was in heaven; tasting her, feeling her skin beneath his finger tips, hearing the soft moans she couldn't suppress. After a while he pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against hers, both attempting to catch their breath.

He looked at her. He saw, not for the first time, the love clearly in her eyes. In that split second he knew. He was no running from this any longer, nor would he allow her to run from it either. "Gillian," he began, "I have something I want to give you. I hope it is a gift you will actually want."

She expected them to move, for him to leave her standing there to retrieve something, but he didn't. He stayed there, not even flinching, never taking his eyes off her. She returned a questioning look, searching his eyes.

"There's something I haven't told you, that I think you need to know. I think the best gift I can give you is the gift of honestly from me…at least on this topic."

She tried to pull away from him, attempted to emotionally distance herself, but found the wall at her back. He saw the uncertainty in her eyes but attempted to calm it with the softness in his own. He held her hands softly in his own, gently caressing the backs with his thumbs. "Gill…" he paused, holding her gaze. He bit his bottom lip, summoning the strength to fight off the fear and take this step. "I want to do away with that bloody line of yours, or at least be on the same side of the damned thing." He watched as she cocked her head slightly, eyes narrowed; she wanted to say something but allowed him to continue. "The fact is…God, Gill, I love you so much. I can't begin to tell you how in love with you I am. I want to give this a try. Hell, I want a life with you." It all came out in a flash and he had to catch her as her knees gave from the shock of hearing everything she's long to hear fall from his lips. His thumb wiped away the tear that had found its way down her cheek.

Her thumb was caressing his face, tracing his lips. "Oh, Cal." She breathed. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear that. " He smiled and kissed her again, but any further conversation was lost as the doorbell signaled the arrival of their Christmas Eve dinner.

Sitting in the living room later, enjoying the fire and a glass of wine, she leaned against him resting her head on his chest. She'd always know Cal would be a cuddler, she just never knew how wonderful it would feel. His fingers were drawing circles lightly on her neck, her shoulder, her back. A part of her absently wondered how those fingers would feel on more intimate parts but as soon as the thought passed through her mind, she knew she had to talk to him. As fantastic as falling in the bed with him tonight sounded, she also knew she wanted more than that for them. Now, she wasn't going to wait long to cross that last line with him, but she did want a few days and it would be better to approach that concept now than when things got heated later. She softly broached the subject gently with him and was pleasantly surprised to find that he did not argue or even seem disappointed. In fact, his answer warmed her heart. "I've waited years for you, darling, I can wait a while longer. Just let me know when you are ok with it, yeah." Yes, she fell a little more in love with him at that.


	5. Chapter 5

_Uh-oh! 2 stories in 2 days! What is the world coming to?_

_Wow. Can't believe my muse has been on hiatus this long! I so apologize for the delay on updating this. I've been fighting and fighting over this chapter. A part of me was trying to make it M for those of you who like that but it just didn't happen this time. Sorry guys. Hope you enjoy this chapter though._

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As Gillian prepared for the evening, her mind couldn't help wandering back to the events of the past week. She'd thought that her request to hold off on the sexual side of the relationship would rattle Cal, but what she'd found was a sweet, romantic, loving man that did not push any boundaries until she was ready. It hadn't exactly been easy for her. The kisses they shared were passionate, igniting a fire within her that she had never felt before. When he nibbled lightly on her neck, she could only think about how that would feel in more intimate areas. Still, Cal had been a complete gentleman, never allowing his hands to roam, even when he insisted that she share his bed Christmas Eve night, he respected her wishes and though he held her tight through the night, there was never anything inappropriate about his touch.

She looked around the room appraisingly. The candles were placed strategically. The sheets were fresh, even the color was chosen to enhance the visual effect she intended to accomplish tonight. Yes, she had asked for this time, and yes, Cal had been a complete gentleman, but all it had managed to do is stoke a fire in Gillian that she planned on quenching tonight.

With the bedroom done, she moved on to get herself ready for the evening. She moved to the shower, opting for a shower gel that she had noticed Cal's reaction to each time she wore it. He would stand just a little closer, linger a split second more, and seemed to try to breathe her in anytime she was close. She smiled at the thought of the last time she'd used this particular scent. He had discovered the scent first thing in the morning when he greeted her with a chaste kiss. She saw his eyes darken almost imperceptibly. He spent the rest of the day hiding around empty corners, waiting for her in her office, or coming up with inane reasons to call her into his office so he could pull her into his study and lavish her with kisses and nuzzle her neck. Yes this is the scent she wanted for tonight.

The past week had been a fairy tale for her. Cal was still Cal and infuriated her most every day about something, be it a financial decision she did not agree with, or a risky judgment in a case. However, once they left the office he seemed to only be thinking of her. He took her out to eat or cooked for her every night. He was attentive and loving in everything he did. And at the end of each evening, he would kiss her softly and whisper words of love and she would return home feeling as though she were floating on a cloud. How long had it been that she felt this giddy? She'd known Cal for so long she thought she knew everything about him, she'd known him better than she knew Alec the whole time they were married, and yet, the side of Cal she was getting to know now had completely amazed her.

When she opened the door to Cal thirty minutes later she was greeted with a breath that caught in his throat the moment he laid eyes on her. She had chosen her favorite "little black dress" to wear to dinner and from the looks of it, Cal certainly approved.

He quickly gathered her into his arms, holding her tightly against him, whispering to her how absolutely amazing she looked tonight. He felt her smile against his neck as he held her. She enjoyed the embrace for a few more moments before kissing him soundly and suggesting they leave now or they'd never make their reservations.

It was New Years Eve. They had opted for an earlier dinner so they could come back to her place for a more quiet welcoming in of the new year. The restaurant was upscale, the food delicious. Cal, however, couldn't take his eyes off of her. Everything else paled in comparison in his eyes. They talked easily. Cal always marveled at how easy it was to talk to Gill. He'd never had anyone that he felt safe enough to open up to until he met Gill, not even when he was married to Zoe. He loved spending time with her, talking, listening, watching the way her eyes lit up when she was talking about a subject she enjoyed.

Soon enough they made their way back to her house. She put on some music and invited him into her arms, not quite ready for things to settle down. She moved with him, loving the feel of his arms around her as they danced. Every moment she spent with him, she fell a little more in love with him.

She offered him a drink and after kicking off her heels she settled beside him on the couch, enjoying drinks together. They talked a little more as they watched the earliest beginnings of the celebrations to ring in the New Year on the television. After a little while Gillian excused herself and made her way up the stairs. Cal enjoyed the view as she walked away, finishing off his drink in one gulp.

"Cal!" Gillians voice came from the direction of her bedroom. "Cal, could you come here a moment?"

Cal was curious and moved quickly up her stairs to be stopped dead in his tracks. Gillian was standing at the door to her room, no longer wearing the black dress, it was replaced with an emerald green silk gown that fell to mid thigh and held up with delicate spaghetti straps at the shoulder. "Gillian," he eeked out as he moved closer to her. His mouth went dry as his fingers smoothed over the soft silk at her waist. His breath caught as he realized what he _wasn't_ feeling beneath the silk. She kissed him, leaving no doubt in his mind where the night was headed. As the kiss broke he pulled back slightly, breathless.

She knew what he was doing, what he was looking for and it warmed her heart. "Are you sure about this?" he asked softly.

She simply smiled and took his hand, leading him into her bedroom where he stopped just a few steps in. She continued on and crawled onto the bed, beckoning to him. His eyes bounced between her and her ceiling, a broad smile on his face, mirth shining in his eyes. "Bloody hell" he laughed as he looked again at the ceiling above her bed…which was covered with at least a hundred or two sprigs of mistletoe.

She slid back on the bed a little more and lay down in front of him. "You seem to have this thing with mistletoe… thought I'd give you a little hint of what I was thinking."

He looked at the way she was laying, completely under the mistletoe. Oh yeah. He could handle kissing _everything_ under those green sprigs! "I don't believe I've quite forgotten anything, love, but I can certainly take a hint," he said as he crawled toward her.

…

Cal was determined to make this last. After all, you only have one first time with a lover and he hoped beyond all hope that this would be his last first time, that Gillian would be the one to warm his bed for the rest of his life. However, the noises she was making under him were not helping matters. The sounds she made as he kissed, licked and sucked her soft skin were sexy as hell and the fact that _he_ was the one drawing them from her, that those sounds were strictly because of _him_ made the effect even more heady.

…..

The sound from the forgotten TV in the living room came to his ears. He could hear the countdown begin to the New Year. One part of him thought it was strange to even be able to focus on that given his current state… finally being one with his best friend, not sure where he ended and she began, but then again he had been trying to divert his attention just enough to prolong the sweet sensation. He groaned as she ground herself against him. He heard the sweet moan that came from her throat at the same time the horn and cheering began from the other room and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had found his absolute favorite way to bring in the New Year… buried deep inside Gillian Foster. He reached between them, sure he wouldn't be able to hold off much longer the way she was moving, and touched her gently. It only took a few more strokes to send them both hurdling into sweet oblivion.

…..

Her breathing was slowing returning to normal while his fingers wandered aimlessly over her skin. She loved snuggling against him. He was tender and loving. Not like Alec had been… distant. She giggled at the thought. Cal…Mr. Emotional Distance himself… was the one who held her warmly after their lovemaking.

He kissed her head softly and glanced again at the ceiling. He chuckled against her. "Buy out every store in the county didja, darling?"

"And a few surrounding" she responded lightly.

"I love it" he laughed, turning toward her, pulling her body even closer to his, "And I love you so very much." He kissed her softly; her gentle sigh was music to his ears as she laid her head against his shoulder. She was relaxed, content to be there in his arms, she'd never felt more loved or cherished as she did that moment.

Would things ever be smooth sailing when it came to the two of them? She couldn't say, but she knew one thing as she looked into his eyes that night…whatever there was to face, they would face it together, side by side, hand in hand, and heart to heart.

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_AN: There may be one more chapter to hopefully tie everything together. I have about 2 more scenes involving mistletoe that I want to get in here. Hopefully the muse is back for a little bit anyway. Reviews make me smile and might help the muse stay a little longer!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Same author different ID... sorry for any confusion..._

_So sorry for the delay in getting this last part up. This has not exactly been the best year for the family. Lost my FIL at the first of the year, and lost my SIL a month ago after a short but severe illness. Writing kind of got pushed to the back burner. _

_Hopefully you will enjoy the final chapter in Mistletoe. _

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The past six months had been heaven for Gillian. She'd worried that a personal relationship with Cal would stress their professional relationship to the breaking point and that their work would suffer. What she was pleasantly surprised to find out was that their professional relationship seemed to flourish under the new way of life. Cal, though not risk free, took fewer risks when it came to his own safety not wanting to worry Gillian nor cut his life with her short. With the completion of the last book and yet another one in the writing stage, the company was finally on solid financial grounds and getting more and more positive attention and therefore more…and better… clients and cases.

It was a late, hot, June afternoon and though Gillian enjoyed the warm weather, she was making her way quickly back into The Lightman Group building after her meeting with a client, thankful for the cool air conditioned office that awaited her. She hadn't seen Cal since they left the house earlier that morning. He had his own meetings to attend to. She noticed the lights were off in Cal's office as she passed by, figuring that he was still out on his case, so she was surprised to find him waiting for her in her own office, a bunch of balloons hanging above her chair. Upon closer inspection she laughed to notice the sprigs of mistletoe attached to each balloon. Cal sat there looking at her as if there was absolutely nothing abnormal about mistletoe suspended from balloons in the middle of June.

"Mistletoe, Cal?" she said taking her seat and smiling broadly at him. He quickly made his way over to her obliging the foliage and kissing her soundly. He caught a glimpse of the clock behind her and thought absently that most of the staff were probably leaving now. Perfect.

"I had to get your attention somehow, love" he said with a smile.

"You've never had a problem getting my attention."

"Ok, so maybe I just wanted it to be memorable," he responded cryptically. He reached above him and messed with one of the balloons a second. He moved back just a bit and was quite pleased with himself as the string began to slowly descend ending with a beautiful diamond ring hanging just perfectly in front of Gillian.

He heard her gasp, and saw her hands tremble as she reached up to examine it further. "Cal?" she whispered.

He stepped forward slowly, carefully watching her face for any sign that he was wrong in taking this step. He saw nothing but love and awe radiating from her. With little effort he removed the ring and quickly knelt in front of her. He watched the tear fall from her eye and the trail of wetness it left on its journey. He held the ring out to her as he began to softly speak.

"So many of the highlights of our relationship have involved mistletoe. I just couldn't wait for Christmas to come back around but I thought it would be appropriate for mistletoe to be involved in this one. You've been with me through thick and thin, Gill. You are my best friend. To say I love you doesn't even seem adequate. I want to spend the rest of my life trying to be the man I see when I look in your eyes. You make me better than I could ever imagine being without you. When Zoe and I divorced I never thought I would consider marriage again, but these past 6 months have changed my mind. I want to come home to you every night. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me. If you'll have me. Will you marry me Gillian?"

The tears were flowing down her cheeks but her eyes sparkled with love and hope. She swallowed roughly and let out a hoarse "Yes" before he gathered her up into his arms, swinging her around eliciting a soft giggle from her. He slowly lowered her feet back to the floor and captured her lips in perfect kiss. Breaking apart, he reached for her left hand and gently slid the diamond in place on her finger. He admired it for a moment and looked up at her. She still stared unbelieving at the engagement ring now residing on her finger. She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck again, kissing him soundly. He held to her for a long time, whispering sweet nothings and promises of unending love in her ear.

DECEMBER 3 ½ YEARS LATER

Cal Lightman stood on the stool between his living room and kitchen attempting once again to hang a sprig of mistletoe just right. He thought back over the years at how such a seemingly simple, even silly, tradition could really have made such an impact on his life. He smiled at the memory of Emily's "mousey-toes" and the many times he had caught his now wife under the greenery. He stepped down and kicked the stool away a bit to make sure he had hung it just right. As he was sizing up his workmanship he felt warm arms snake around him and the soft tickle of her breath against his neck.

"Looks lovely," she whispered in his ear.

He turned around in her embrace and moved them back a couple steps, making sure they were placed properly in honor of the fresh vegetation. He kissed her sweetly and rested his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. "I love you so very much Mrs Lightman" even after nearly 3 years of marriage he still couldn't get rid of the giddiness he felt whenever he called her that. A part of him still couldn't believe that Gillian Foster-Lightman haD lost her mind somewhere along the line enough to actually marry him.

"I love you too MR Lightman" she said with a smile before capturing his lips in a heated kiss.

Both would have been quite content to remain just as they were for the rest of the night when they both felt little hands tugging at their pant legs. With a groan so soft only Gillian could hear, Cal pulled back away from his wife, resting his forehead against hers for a spit second attempting to calm his breathing. After a few heartbeats the lovers looked down at their son who was still quietly tugging at the pantlegs of his parents.

Cal squatted down so he could be eye level with his naerly three year old son. "And what can I do for you Mr Ian?" he said with a smile.

Ian grinned happily and pointed at the mistletoe above his mother. "One, Tuu, Fee?" he asked excitedly. Cal looked at his wife with a wide grin which she reciprocated, nodding to him. This was something that had come about quite out of the blue but Ian had loved it and had insisted on it continuing.

"Ok, come on buddy," Cal said picking up his son and positioning them where Ian was directly under the mistletoe. Gillian quickly joined them and put one arm around her son and one around her husband, catching his eye with a smile and a slight nod.

Ian's smile grew even bigger has he heard his parents' voices blend together as they sing-songed a drawn out "One…two…three" and kissed him at the same time…Cal dramatically kissing one cheek, Gillian kissing the other. Ian laughed and tried to squirm but refused to leave the embrace. Cal and Gillian laughed at their son. As soon as his laughter died down he quickly responded with an excited "Again, again!" The three laughed together as they repeated the process.

Finally Ian moved to wrap one small arm around his Mom's neck and the other around his father. "My do it!," he exclaimed cheerfully. "One… tuuuu…feeeee!" he said and then placed slobbery kisses on the cheeks of first his mom and then his dad before squirming to be let down. They watched as he quickly ran off to the other room with a shout of "wuvv ooo" behind him.

Cal placed his arm around Gillian as Ian disappeared into the next room. "Now… where were we?" he asked as he captured her lips once more, enjoying again the tradition of the mistletoe.

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_Author's notes._

_I just had to write the Ian part. I'm not sold that Cal and Gillian would actually ever wind up having a child, but I just HAD to. This is actually something my son would do. He is 13 now and up to just a few months ago he would still surprise us and ask for the "1,2,3"! LOL! It is just so sweet I just had to make it part of my favorite couple! Hope thats ok!_

_Also for those of you who have read a couple of my M fics... they are down for the moment ...may put them back up under a different name, but not sure yet. If you have an opinion, I'm all ears._

_Thanks so much to those who have stuck by this fic. I never intended for it to take this long to complete, but as too often happens "real" life butts in._

_Reviews make me happy!_


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